Higher Ground
“I’m a spiritual person, it’s just part of who I am.”
This was from my friend Matt. We were chatting about our ups and downs with church and religion and I asked him if he would ever just give the whole thing up. I think his response was in effect saying that spirituality is not really a choice for him, it is a part of his makeup, the way he operates and a part of how his world works. His statement resonated with me, I feel the same, no matter the bumps, many bumps it feels like, along the way.
I felt like I found another kindred spirit watching the movie Higher Ground. The film was directed by and stars Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Up in the Air, Source Code) and is based on the memoir of Carolyn S. Briggs. Her story revolves around her twenty some years in a small Evangelical Church, showing her conversion, baptism, discipleship and ultimate departure from group.
Higher Ground does not pull any punches, nor does it deliver any low blows. Mrs. Briggs was involved in the screen writing and her love for these characters shows, everyone is depicted with honesty but no one is especially vilified. Even after one dramatic scene with her husband, I didn’t have the feeling that he personified all that was wrong in Carolyn’s life or anything, his life was simply part of her story.
Carolyn’s relationship to the sacred was what really connected with me. She puts her whole heart into the paradigm of God that is given her but is left wanting something more. Her frustration with her perceived one way God communication and her incessant questioning and testing could have been lifted from the pages of my own memoir.
All this is set within a very familiar setting. The songs they sing reminded me of good days growing up in a church that looked out for me and did what they thought best for me. The church speak and cadence was also recognizable, without being over the top like some sort of televangelist.
Overall, the film was a success for me and except for one heavy handed “dog” scene, was well executed. I’m a fan of Vera Farmiga, her handling of Carolyn’s personal story was tastefully done and made an impact on me, hearing others stories on similar paths is always a highlight for me.
